The Jacobs Startup Competition is an international competition for student entrepreneurs from all over the world – organized entirely by students. Every year, we welcome teams from all over the world, give them access to a large network of founders, mentors and experts, and provide a platform to pitch their ideas to judges and investors, according to our slogan – dare to stand out!
We offer a wide range of mentorship, webinars, workshops and coaching opportunities to our participants in order to support them in founding their own business in the best way possible. Therefore, we appreciate anyone who would like to offer their expertise, time and experience – be it teaching, working for a large multinational corporation or founding their own startup – and support our participants throughout the competition.
Additionally, as JSC is entirely student-run, we rely solely on sponsors and are always looking for financial support. We offer a wide range of opportunities for advertisement and cooperation and are more than happy to discuss individualized partnerships.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
- You can apply as an individual or as a team.
- At least half of your team has to consist of Bachelor or Master’s students, enrolled in university (October 2021 to March 2022) throughout the course of the competition. Non-university students may work on the startup but will not be allowed to pitch the idea.
FIRST ROUND
Submit a short summary of your startup idea and how you plan on being profitable directly on our website. Applications will be reviewed by the experienced JSC team and the most promising ideas will enter the second round. Make sure to watch out for valuable advice/hints on our Facebook page. This will help you find your startup idea and make the best out of your application!
SECOND ROUND
Teams that go through to this round will be asked to submit a more detailed executive summary of their business ideas. You will be guided by questions about your startup’s value proposition, pricing and sales strategy, financing plans and your visions for the future. During the second round, participants will have the chance to take part in online webinars on relevant entrepreneurial topics and lead it toward success. All executive summaries will be evaluated by our mentors who are founders with many years of experience in the startup world.
THIRD ROUND
The best 10 applicants will then enter the final round of the Jacobs Startup Competition. Each team will be provided with a personal mentor who will advise them on their final JSC pitch. The two-day final event will take place in a hybrid format, as participants, mentors, speakers and others will be invited to the campus of Jacobs University Bremen. It will be packed with fascinating talks and workshops given by startup founders and entrepreneurship professionals and motivating startup pitches. Get the opportunity to meet inspiring entrepreneurs from all over the world and network with established accelerators and investors. The final 10 teams have the chance to win a boosting prize money as well as several other valuable resources.
PRIZES
First: $3,000+
Second: $1,000+
Third:$500+